Affordance

The properties of something, both actual and perceived, that determine how it could be used.

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Key Insights & Principles

Design

1. We perceive things for what they can do for us, or what we can do with them.
2. Affordances are critical to communicating function.
3. Reducing the number of possible applications for something can greatly increase the clarity of its affordance.
4. Well designed affordances can significantly enhance user experience.
5. Clarity and simplicity of an object's affordances is highly correlated to its usage.
6. Context and culture change affordances.

1. Design objects and products with clear affordances.
2. Simplify design to make objects intuitive.
3. Consider context and culture when creating affordances.

Book References